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Quantitative effects of pycnocline and dissolved oxygen on vertical distribution of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita s.l.: a case study of Mikawa Bay, Japan

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Abstract

Blooms of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita s.l. occur in various vertical distribution patterns within the water column. Reasons for these distribution patterns have remained obscure. To quantify the influence of pycnocline and low dissolved oxygen (DO) on the vertical distribution of A. aurita aggregations, we investigated temperature, salinity, DO, and observed densities of A. aurita at 1–2 m depth intervals via video camera in a eutrophicated, enclosed bay, Mikawa Bay, Japan, for 3 years. During the observed period, stratification and hypoxic status of the bay varied seasonally and interannually due to climatic events, such as rainy season and typhoon passage. Both sharp pycnocline and low DO limited A. aurita vertical distribution. The more strongly stratified the water column, the more the upper boundary of A. aurita distribution was restricted. Bottom hypoxic water limited the lower boundary of A. aurita distribution. The DO threshold for in situ distribution was estimated to be ~2.5 mg l−1, which is much higher than the experimentally obtained, sublethal values identified in previous studies. Our results show that climatic events affect A. aurita vertical distribution through changes in the physical characteristics of the water column.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Capt. Takayoshi Yamashita of the Dai-Roku Marutoshi Maru, and members of Ocean Planning Co., Ltd. for their assistance during our field observations. We are also grateful to the members of the Morozaki Fisheries Cooperative, Aichi Prefecture for their cooperation in our field surveys. We appreciate the constructive comments of Dr. Yukinori Nakane and the English edits of Dr. Michelle L. Walsh on the manuscript. We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions to improve the quality of the paper.

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Author notes

  1. Akira Yasuda

    Present address: Tokai Marinos Tech Co., Ltd., Tokoname, Aichi, 479-0827, Japan

  2. Yusuke Murata & Noriyuki Endo

    Present address: Himeji EcoTech Co., Ltd., Himeji, Hyogo, 672-8023, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Abiko, Chiba, 270-1194, Japan

    Kentaro S. Suzuki, Noriyuki Endo & Yasuyuki Nogata

  2. Ocean Planning Co., Ltd., Nagoya, Aichi, 455-0036, Japan

    Akira Yasuda & Yusuke Murata

  3. CERES Inc., Abiko, Chiba, 270-1166, Japan

    Emi Kumakura

  4. Aichi Fisheries Research Institute, Gamagohri, Aichi, 443-0021, Japan

    Satoshi Yamada

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  1. Kentaro S. Suzuki
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Correspondence to Kentaro S. Suzuki.

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Suzuki, K.S., Yasuda, A., Murata, Y. et al. Quantitative effects of pycnocline and dissolved oxygen on vertical distribution of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita s.l.: a case study of Mikawa Bay, Japan. Hydrobiologia 766, 151–163 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2451-6

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